Dundrum Surgery, 14 Church View, Dundrum, Newcastle, BT33 0NA 028 437 50700
Clough Surgery, 1 Castlewellan Road, Clough, Downpatrick, BT30 8RD 028 44 811535

Noticeboard

COVID VACCINATION CLINIC

We will be offering Covid-19 vaccinations to our patients as per Department of Health guidance. Please do not contact us as we will contact you when it is your turn.

PATIENTS AGED 50-64YRS

Patients aged 50-64yrs who have not received the flu vaccination should contact the surgery to book an appointment with one of the Nursing Team.

CORONAVIRUS UPDATE

To help reduce the potential spread of infection, we are advising all patients to phone the surgery.

When you ring us, our staff will ask you some questions to determine your condition. Some of these questions may include if you have a temperature or a cough. These questions help us to determine the best action to take but also helps protect our staff and other vulnerable patients.

If appropriate, you may receive a call back from a GP or be given other relevant advice. Please ensure the practice has up to date contact numbers for you and that you are available for a GP to call you back.

If you need a repeat prescription, please ring the practice on 028 4481 1535 and select option 2. Please advise which chemist you wish your prescription to go to as you will not be able to collect it from the practice.

Coronavirus related fit notes should be downloaded from NHS 111. Patients can self-certify for up to 7 days and self certificates can be accessed online at HMRC website.

For general Coronavirus queries, please refer to the Public Health website - htpps://www.publichealth.hscni.net/news/novel-coronavirus-2019-ncov

SEASONAL INFLUENZA VACCINATION - 2020/2021

If you are eligible for the flu vaccination, but do not wish to have it, please let us know so we can update your medical records.

SHINGLES VACCINATION PROGRAMME - 2020/2021

Shingles vaccines are available for eligible patients born between 2 September 1949 and 1 September 1950.

If you were born between 2 September 1940 and 1 September 1942 or 2 September 1943 and 1 September 1949 and have not already received the shingles vaccine you are also eligible to receive it.

Please contact the Surgery to arrange an appointment with the Nurse to get your Shingles Vaccine.

PIP's LETTERS

Unfortunately, due to increasing workload in general practice, GPs will no longer be able to provide supporting letters for PIPs.

PROTECTION FROM MENINGITIS AND SEPTICAEMIA

As part of the NHS vaccine programme, patients born between 2 July 1996 and 1 July 2001 who have not already received the Men ACWY vaccine, will be eligible to request the vaccine up until the age of 25 years. First time university students up to the age of 25 are also eligible.

This meningococcal ACWY vaccine protects against meningitis (inflammation of the brain) and septicaemia (blood poisoning) caused by meningococcal groups A, C, W and Y.

The number of cases of meningococcal W disease continues to increase year on year so it is vital that young people are offered protection.

GROWING DEMAND FOR APPOINTMENTS

Due to our growing list size we are having a significant increase in demand for GP appointments. There is a province wide shortage of GPs and over the next few months you may need to wait longer for routine appointments. We are actively trying to recruit additional GPs to join our Primary Care Team.

NEW ADVICE ON VITAMIN D INTAKE - see further information section for more details

COUNTERSIGNING PASSPORT AND DRIVING LICENCE APPLICATIONS AND PHOTOGRAPHS

The Doctors at Dundrum and Clough Surgery are no longer able to countersign passport and driving licence applications and photographs. Please refer to the recognised professions on the passport website - www.gov.uk/countersigning-passport-applications and DVLA website - www.nidirect.gov.uk for further information.

NON NHS SERVICES

Most of the Practice's clinical and non-clinical services are provided without cost under the NHS.  However, there are some items, for which we charge, as they are not provided under the NHS.  Please click on the clinic and services tab above for a detailed list of our current non NHS fees. 

ANTIBIOTIC PRESCRIBING - see further information section for more details

BLOOD PRESSURE MONITORING

A blood pressure monitoring system is now available to use in a private side room in Clough Surgery. Please feel free to take your own blood pressure whenever you wish, hand the blood pressure reading print out to the receptionist along with the completed form so that your medical records can be updated. At times, a GP or Nurse may ask you to do this.

NEW PATIENTS

We welcome new patients. However, from 5 April 2016, we are only able to accept new patients who reside within our Practice Area as approved by HSCB. (see our Practice Area map under New Patients)

REPEAT PRESCRIPTIONS ONLINE

Did you know that you can order your repeat prescriptions online?  Call into Dundrum or Clough Surgery for personalised login details and then follow the links on the website.

WHOOPING COUGH VACCINATIONS

Whooping cough vaccinations are advised for pregnant women who are 16 weeks and over. This is to prevent whooping cough in newborn babies. If the surgery has not yet contacted you, please phone to arrange this vaccination. It is safe to have the flu and the whooping cough vaccinations together.  The flu vaccinations can be given at any stage in pregnancy.

Have you used the FREE Minor Ailments Scheme? For further information click on the link under further information.

Please see our Self Care section under our further information.

Practice History

Laying FoundationsHistorically there were two practices, one in Clough village and the other in Dundrum village. In 1985 both practices joined to form a partnership. In 1994 Dundrum was extended and in 1996 the surgery in Clough closed. The Practice developed a special expertise in diabetes under the expert leadership of the then Senior Partner Dr Kieran Walshe, who then retired in 2010.

The Practice has continued to grow and in 2012 consisted of five Partners with a list size of approximately 7600 patients. In response to ever-increasing patient numbers and a shortage of space and facilities in Dundrum, the decision was taken to move back to Clough in March 2012 as an integral part of the new Health Village. The Practice will continue to offer services in both Clough and Dundrum into the future.

Dr Ronald Hamilton’s speech at the laying of the foundation stone in Clough Surgery on 20 September 2010

‘I thank you for the honour to lay this foundation stone of the Clough and District Health Village. This is a development I could never have imagined when I first drove into Clough on 1 September 1963. Here I was to begin my career as a General Practitioner.

I was brought up in County Antrim. In those days County Down was for me a far-off country. Clough was a mystery. I lived in the village a few hundred yards from here with my employer, Dr James McAdam. His surgery was attached to his house. Around the corner, in The Square, was the home and surgery of another family doctor, Dr John Erwin. Both surgeries dispensed medicines , so I had to acquire pharmaceutical skills very quickly. Surgeries were held every day including Sunday. Dental forceps were available in the surgery. They had been used by Dr McAdam on occasion. We attended homes where mothers had their babies. A few days later fathers would come to Clough to register the births for Dr McAdam was the local registrar. The doctors provided accident and emergency services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Fifty years ago Clough had a very comprehensive health care system for its time. During the 1980s the delivery of health care was changing. A new surgery was designed and built in Dundrum, medical partnerships were formed, primary care teams introduced to meet the challenges of the advances of health care provision. The loss of a health care facility in Clough was deeply felt by many in the village. I congratulate those who conceived of, planned and designed this health care facility. I wish the contractors success, safety and satisfaction in completing its construction.

As I lay this foundation stone, it is my prayer and conviction that this Health Village will bring great and lasting benefit to the people of Clough and surrounding district.’